TORIKO is Happy Labs PvP Puzzle title, now out on Android for Beta Testing

If you’re into birds, match-3 puzzles, and competitive, arcade-like video games then you might want to take a look at TORIKO, the new puzzle player-versus-player smartphone title from Happy Labs, a Singapore-based indie development studio best known for their simulation titles such as Hotel Story and Happy Mall Story.

The game, if in case you’re wondering where the arcade reference comes from shares part of its mechanics from the retro title Puzzle Bobble, otherwise known as Bust-a-Move wherein you need to stack 3 or more orbs, or for TORIKO’s case birds, of the same color to drop them from an ever-growing stack of colored objects in order to prevent it from reaching the surface before a time runs out. In TORIKO though, there are no timers rather you would have to clear a specific set of waves against a live opponent with the first one to do so winning a match. The game is purely PvP, although there is an AI practice mode available, and instead of shooting birds, you would need to snatch them from the stack by swiping down and matching them back to the other birds of the same color by swiping up on their respective rows.

The mechanics are rather easy, and to add more variety to the gameplay, features such as items and special blocks are added with each having a certain effect such as instantly clearing birds, or blocks, of the same color, or clearing certain rows. There’s also a mini weapon system which lets you cast effects on opponents in true puzzle player versus player fashion.

Specialized blocks each have their own effect when triggered.

Items such as “Wild Lighting” lets you clear rows.

And of course, weapons such as a Pinwheel lets you, well, puzzle your opponents.

The game is easy to get hooked into, given its easily understandable mechanics and relatively well-recognizable references to other smartphone titles, although one downside as of the moment is that it can take a while before you can play in true PvP given that it’s still in its Open Beta and all.